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Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League is a professional Indoor football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. For the upcoming 2011 season the league has 22 teams in 14 different U.S. states, it is currently the world's largest professional indoor football league. Its two largest competitors are the Arena Football League and the American Indoor Football Association. History Formation of the league The merger which formed the new IFL was announced the day before the 2008 National Indoor Bowl Championship, a game which pitted the champions of the two leagues against each other. The Sioux Falls Storm (United) defeated the Louisiana Swashbucklers (Intense) 54 to 42. 2009 Season Of the 17 teams involved in the two previous leagues, 14 carried over to the new organization's 2009 season. An additional 3 teams came over from the CIFL and two expansion teams began their life in the new IFL. In the 2009 IFL United Bowl, the Billings Outlaws (Intense Conference) took the league championship by defeating the River City Rage (United Conference) by a score of 71 to 62. 2010 Season After losing two teams to attrition after the end of the 2009 season, and a third in January 2010, the IFL then added an additional nine franchises to boost its membership to twenty-five for the 2010 season. Three of the new teams were expansion franchises. Two moved over from the Southern Indoor Football League and Continental Indoor Football League. Four teams were members of the now defunct AF2 that chose to join the IFL instead of aligning with the newly formed AF1. After playing 9 games of the 2010 season the Alaska Wild suspended operations, leaving only 24 teams to finish the year. In the 2010 IFL United Bowl, the Billings Outlaws (Intense Conference) took the league championship by defeating the Sioux Falls Storm (United Conference) by a score of 43 to 34. 2011 Season Seven new teams were added to the IFL for the 2011 season. Some of these were new expansion teams, and others moved to the IFL from the AIFA. The IFL also lost nine teams during the offseason, bringing the total number to twenty-two for 2011. Current Teams United Conference Atlantic Division Great Lakes Division Great Plains Division Intense Conference Lonestar Division Mountain West Division Pacific Division * = New team/city for IFL in 2011. Former Teams Left for another league * Abilene Ruff Riders - Left IFL after 2010 season, now a member of the Southern Indoor Football League * Corpus Christi Hammerheads - Left IFL after 2010 season, now a member of the Southern Indoor Football League Board approves return of indoor football * Louisiana Swashbucklers - Left IFL prior to inaugural season, now a member of the Southern Indoor Football League Swashbucklers Leave IFL for new SIFL * Saginaw Sting - Left for the Ultimate Indoor Football League after sitting out the 2010 season. Saginaw Sting Named 6th And Final Team For UIFL, 2011 Season Now Set For Kick-Off * Sioux City Bandits - Left IFL after 2010 season, now a member of the American Professional Football League. Sioux City Bandits will leave IFL * Tucson Thunder Kats - Left IFL prior to inaugural season, now a member of American Indoor Football AssociationTucson arena football team changes leagues for 2011 Folded * Alaska Wild - Team suspended operations 9 games into the 2010 season. The coach and multiple players left to play elsewhere and the team no longer had money to continue the season. IFL Takes Necessarry Action In AnchorageOutlaws get forfeit win * Arctic Predators - Originally announced as 2010 IFL member, but stalemate between ownership group and head coach led to lease difficulties, IFL franchise moved and became the Kent Predators. (A different team with the name Arctic Predators then became a member of the American Indoor Football Association) * Austin Turfcats - Will not be in IFL for 2011 season. 2011 IFL Schedule Announced * CenTex Barracudas - Originally announced as an IFL member, but not included in 2009 alignment. * El Paso Generals - Owners attempted to sell the team, but did not participate in 2010 season. * Everett Destroyers - Originally announced as an IFL member, but not included in 2009 alignment. * Frisco Thunder - Originally announced as 2009 IFL member, then announced they would take season off while Dr Pepper Arena was being renovated, team didn't return. * RiverCity Rage - Owner suspended them to focus on the Omaha Beef. Owner shuts down IFL’s River City Inactive * Billings Outlaws - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012. * Maryland Maniacs - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012. * Rochester Raiders - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012. * San Angelo Stampede Express - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012. * West Michigan ThunderHawks - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012. IFL United Bowl Championship The IFL continues to use the "United Bowl" name originally used by United Indoor Football. The UIF used this name before they merged with Intense Football League to form the Indoor Football League. The UIF held United Bowl I, II, III, and IV in 2005 through 2008, with all four being won by the Sioux Falls Storm. Another piece of history about the United Bowl name is that the United Football League, an outdoor league founded in 2009, was planning on using the name for its championship game, but the IFL retained the trademark to the name so that the UFL couldn't use it. The IFL had to continue using the name in some form, and though the name "National Indoor Bowl Championship" was used for the 2008 contest between the UIF and the Intense Football League, the "United Bowl" name continues to be used for the combined league's championship instead. 2009 United Bowl Championship The 2009 IFL United Bowl featured the Intense Conference champs, the Billings Outlaws, against the upset-minded United Conference River City Rage. The game became a scoring onslaught at the start of the 1st quarter with each team scoring touchdowns. The Outlaw defense snagged a pick in the 2nd quarter which led to another offensive touchdown and a commanding two score lead by halftime. The Rage fought back though, recovering an onside kick at the beginning of the 3rd quarter and driving the ball the length of the field for a touchdown. That would be the closest the game would get for the Rage. The Outlaws would put up just enough points to keep a comfortable lead throughout the fourth and after recovering an onside kick in the last minute of the game, the Outlaws kneeled the ball and took home the crown with a score of 71-62 in a loud, sold out Rimrock Auto Arena. 2010 United Bowl Championship In the 2010 IFL United Bowl, the Billings Outlaws (Intense Conference) took the league championship by defeating the Sioux Falls Storm (United Conference) by a score of 43 to 34. Year-By-Year References External links *Official website *Announcement of new league's formation *IFL Merger media guide Category:Indoor Football League